BY ANDREAS YILMA
citizens news
NAUGATUCK — A borough convenience store, Metro Mart, has received the go-ahead to more than triple its size.
The Zoning Commission at its July 17 meeting approved a site plan modification for a proposed 6,615 sq. ft. addition to the existing 2,000 sq. ft. building and parking lot and the architectural building rendering for the building and property located on 1.59 acres at 1419 New Haven Road.
The applicant, MNA Property Holdings, LLC, of Cheshire, will move ahead with the expansion with several conditions including a $15,105 bond for soil erosion control measures, landscaping improvements, top soil and mulching, site grading and sidewalk pubic improvements and an encroachment permit must be obtained from the state Department of Transportation.
Professional engineer Kyle Pustola, of Pustola & Associates, subsequently said the expansion will be for five additional store fronts to the right and rear of the building if you are facing the store from the road. The addition will be about 18 by 60 ft.
“The owner is anxious to get started,” Pustola said during the meeting. “We’re also responsible for the building drawings so we’ll be approaching for a building permit pretty soon, in the next couple weeks and then hopefully get started after that.”
The plan is expected to cost about $950,000. The anticipated construction time will be about five months where the development won’t be staged. In addition to the five rental spaces, there will be a 912 sq. ft. storage/utility area at the rear of the building. The proposal also calls for 45 parking spaces, according to the site plan application.
Silt fencing will be put up to retain the soil during the construction process, Pustola said.
The Zoning Commission briefly recessed to the Aquifer Protection Agency meeting.
Zoning Enforcement Officer Ed Carter said there are no proposed regulated activities for this project, such a dry cleaner or a car repair shop, before the commission approved that proposed development project does not propose to have a regulated aquifer zone activity and will not require an aquifer zone permit.
If borough officials see that they start to do regulated activities, they can revisit it to see if they will need an aquifer zone permit, Carter said.
